Housecleaning Chores 4 Year Old Can Help With?

All the other posts have great advise. My 2 year old makes her own bed, which is usually an easy job to teach kids. Good luck, hope she always enjoys helping out!

My little ones were the same way at that age. Folding washclothes and handtowels, matching up socks and putting napkins and silverware on the table are great ways to feel a part.

My son is almost four but he loves to help. Give the kid a wet rag and he will wipe the whole house down. Haha. He loves to dust and wash windows. He also folds towels and rags. After I fold the kids clothes he helps me put away the clothes. He may not do it all perfect but he puts his full effort into it! It makes him very happy to help.... But he does get a ton of praise for being such a big helper!

Well, my twins are turning 4 next month and there are some tasks that they really help me with, while there are other tasks with which I try to build their confidence and create a culture of teamwork & responsibility (these tasks I know I will have to re-do later but they don't know that).

Well, the tasks they really do help me with are:
Laundry:
- taking the clean folded clothes and stowing them away properly.
- take dirty laundry hampers to the laundry room
- hang their own shirts in their small hangers after laundry is clean
- match their own clean socks
Cleaning:
- use central vac for the carpeted rooms or kitchen floor (make sure there is no item on the carpet)
Kitchen:
- wash fruits for juicing
- I even let them juice in a slow cold press juicer (under full supervision)
- clean their own dinner table (its their height)
- take their own clean plates & glasses & cutlery and set their own table for dinner
Other:
- put parent's shoes in the right place
- use brush & scoop for cleaning small messes
- clean up their own toys after playing
- pluck herbs for cooking from the garden

they are in training for the following tasks and later I have to do them again or fix some part of it:
- putting rinsed dishes in the dishwasher
- scrub kitchen cabinets or drawers their height, with a wet sponge.

they can do a lot, if you let them and appreciate their efforts. It is so much fun!! Enjoy!

I don't know if you have been on this website but I think it is wonderful!!! It has chore charts and fun print outs by age groups. Have a look see it might put a fun spin on what ideas you are looking for. :)

www.chartjungle.com

My 2 1/2 year old recently stole the job of setting the table from my 4 year old, she normally doesn't mind. My 4 year old also dusts with the swiffer, she also puts her folded laundry away and is learning how to put shirts on hangers, and she loves to put clothes in the washer, whild the 2 year old takes them out of the dryer and puts them in the laundry basket. She picks up her toys all over the house and can clean her room relatively well. We don't do this, but alot of kids really like to make their bed every day and that is something that doesn't have to be perfect-they can do it how they want-depending on the size of the bed she may not need any help with that. She takes her breakfast bowl to the sink when she's through (its taken time to teach her how not to get milk all over the place, but she does great now) Her most favorite thing to do is help me cook-normally things like cookies or brownies (they love to lick the bowl) but she puts frozen rolls on the cookie sheet and puts pepperoni on the pizza. With a new baby she can get diapers for you or bring you a blanket for her, maybe help pick out what the baby will wear each day, I had my daughter take diapers to the diaper pail (followed by hand washing.) There are loads of things she can do-and she may surprise you by what she can do herself.

I have a 2 and 4 yr old that both really like doing chores. My 4 yr old likes to unload the dishwasher. Every time its done running, I take out the knives and glasses then let her do the rest. The silverware she can put in the drawer and all the other dishes she stacks on the counter then I put them in the high cabinets. Both of mine enjoy folding towels too. So my 2 yr old does the wash clothes and my 4 yr old does the hand towels. Dusting is always a good one too. Try going to Toys R Us and finding her some housekeeping stuff. They have small brooms and vaccuums and all sorts of stuff. Hope this helps a little. Have fun!

A.

Rebecca,

Here's what my 3 and 4 year olds did: load washing machine, sort socks, bring me their own sheets, underwear, socks, and pajamas to be washed, unload the silverwear from the dishwasher, pick up their toys, sort the recycling, empty the trashcans, bring in groceries then assist in putting them away, put labels on packages, put away cereal, clear the table, set the table, run the Shark, dust, bring in firewood and probably more that I'm not remembering right now.

Some advice I gleaned from a homeschooling magazine is to assign children one job a day, per year of age. So, a three-year old can do three jobs, a seven-year old can do seven and so forth. That's about how I run my house, with me still doing to bulk of the work. Eventually I want to work myself out of a job but in the meantime, it's up to me to train them in how I want the chores done.

K.

My 3 1/2 year old loves to fold towels and wash cloths when I am folding other laundry. He also likes to help clean the floors. He gets the "dust buster" vacumn and walks around the carpet and wood floors and cleans the dirt.

My four year old would do all the chores if I would let her! Of course I'd have to follow along behind to get it all done. She uses the clorox wipes to wipe down the counters, the kitchen table, the bathroom counters, and even cleans the toilet with one of those toilet wands (not sure how you might feel about that, hands are thoroughly washed of course). She also puts away her panties and her nighties. And helps to put away silverware, tupperware, her cups and plates when I empty the dishwasher.

She can pick up toys, set the table with your help. She can help you found things at the store along as it is something she can found in the lane you are in like a special box of cereal. IF you had a pet she can watch the pet bowl to see if it needs more food or water. You make want to held the bowl mostly the water one, if she spoil a little of the food the pet will clean it up.

Hi Rebecca,
Let her clean the floor w/ a dry swiffer. Some great ideas are from Flylady.net-one is let her put on her swim suit and give her a wet soapy towel and she can "scoot" around on her bum on the towel to help you clean the floor and have fun at the same time.
Also-My 3 yr old likes to help with laundry-putting clothes in the washer and when they are done, putting them in the dryer-I drop them on the dryer door (front loader with a handle on Top) and she loves pushing them inside. Let her help you cook-if you are measuring, let her help with that, let her get pans out of the cabinets and I think someone already mentioned it-set the table.
She could also keep her room clean (pick up clothes/toys etc... off the floor-and make her bed). My 3 yr old Loves to use the stick broom (electric sweeper)it's not as heavy/unweildy as the big vaccum and it's not as loud.
Also, she can "sweep" the outdoors spaces-if you have areas outside she can sweep-let her! Porch, deck, walkways etc...are great places for little girls to lean to sweep and if she misses something it's not as noticable as if she is doing this inside. So you can really let her "do it all by herself" :-).
Mostly I think it's important to let her help and try and keep your patience Close by. That's the only way she will learn.
Good Luck,
C.

Hi Rebecca,

She can definitely help with learning to fold clothes and vacuum. Kids LOVE that! Also, making sure that she learns about using green cleaners is great as well. You don't want her breathing in caustic chemicals. I've been shopping directly from a green manufacturer for about two years and absolutely LOVE the scent of all the products and the way they are so versatile and get the job done! Let me know if you're interested in learning where I shop, I can refer you. I raised three sons so it was like pulling teeth to get them to do housework. She sounds precious!

K.

I didn't read all the responses, but putting away silverware is simply sorting and is easy and fun, as is helping drying dishes, sorting socks for folding, mine liked to sort clothes for the laundry...light stuff, white stuff blue stuff and dark stuff (we wear a lot of jeans).

My daughter started picking up her bedroom at 3. It was not always real clean but it was a learning experience. She also started putting away silverware (no sharp knives) from the dishwasher and gathering up her dirty clothes.
G. C.

This would be a great time to start using non-chemical cleaners, if you haven't already. For example, vinegar on glass and mirrors works just great!

There are lots of resources online, or you can find a book at the library that talks about all the different everyday household ingredients you can use for cleaning perfectly wonderfully around the house. For mopping floors, I add 1/4 cup of vinegar, a little squirt of dish soap, and some essential oils like lemon, orange, and lemongrass (smells great, too). Disinfects and cleans as well as bleach, without having to breathe in harmful fumes and leave toxic substances on surfaces. Since your daughter will be in closer contact with cleaners as she begins participating more in household chores, this will be a lovely way to keep her healthy and safe.

L.

I wouldn't let her do anything that involved chemicals, but she can help clean her room and pick toys up, vaccuum with the hose (my kids love this one), "fluff" couch pillows, hand wash dishes or rinse befoer loading the dishwasher, my kids help me unload items.

My favorite chore for my kids is having them help me with laundry, it is an excellent teaching tool, you can teach how to separate colors, and even start teaching her to look for the words warm or cold on the tag. She can also help you carry a small laundry basket and help load them into the washer, pretty easy for a front loader, but you might need a stool for her to stand on for a top loader.

Hi Rebecca,

Kids around that age love to get their hands in water so I'd suggest you let her help with dishes. I'd only let her "clean" the plastic ware and other non breakables. My 5 year old grandson loves to help doing dishes and he beams with pride when he finished.

Also you could have her help you cook. Like help get the vegies from the fridge or something else simple. Maybe you could have her scrub the potatoes or stir something that's not on the stove.

One last thing...have her help set the table. You could put everything needed on the table, set one place and them have her mimic your place setting (minus the knives of course).

Anyway...good luck and have a fun time.

W. Q

My son will be 4 in July and loves to help around the house. I let him empty the dryer and help put clothes in the washer. When his sheets need cleaned he takes them off his bed and puts them either in the washer or in the basket. Always picking up their toys is a good way to help. If you have a dishwasher let her help unload it. Get all the knives out before she starts helping. Let her try to sweep with a broom or a swifter. My son loves the swifter he takes it out all the time and mops/sweeps with it. he may not get everything but every little bit helps. Just think of little things she could do. Wiping the table off after dinner, putting her plates/cups in the sink when she is done.

S. T.
Working at home and loving it!
www.always4myfamily.com

Rebecca,
There are lots of things your little one can do to help around the house! I've got two boys, one is two and a half, the other almost eight, and they both have chores that we do every day. My youngest helps pick up toys and cleans his room, he puts clothes in the dirty clothes baskets and helps take laundry to the laundry room. My oldest does dishes several nights a week and has to do his own laundry. They both have to feed their pets every day (the youngest needs help but he usually remembers better than his big brother, lol). They both have to help pick up toys out of the yard when it's time to mow, and we spend a lot of time cleaning up behind ourselves as we go so there's not much mess by the end of the day. The oldest also takes care of the catbox. You just have to find small chores and things they can do to help out. They have to take care of their library, and make sure all thier books make it back to the bookcases by the end of the day. Just be creative and ask yourself if this is something she can do to help out. They also help with the cooking as well. Usually it's just getting the milk out of the 'fridge, or putting the flour back in the cupboard, but it makes them feel really helpful and while they're in the way, A LOT, they feel needed and it sets them up to learn how to cook as well, which is a dying art anymore. I hope this helps. They don't do a perfect job all of the time, and a lot of the time I have to go back behind them and fix things, but in the long run, it becomes habit so they stay in a routine and things run a little smoother around the house.

I'm a full time working Mom, Married for three and a half years to a part time working, part time stay at home, part time college student, and i've got a two and a half year old little boy, and a soon to be eight year old stepson we have full custody of.

My daughter (nearly 4) is a great laundry helper. She folds washcloths and kitchen towels. She can put the clothes in the dryer if I hand them to her. Lately, she has been putting her step stool up to the kitchen counter and helping cook small things like putting the chicken on the baking stone or dumping the dry ingredients into a bowl when we bake. I also let her hold the dust pan when I sweep and help push the vaccuum cleaner.
J.

At our house we have a "star" chart for chores. My three year old has "chores" such as 1)brushing teeth, 2) helping feed the dog, 3) taking her dirty towel to laundry after bath time, 4) taking her breakfast plate and putting on kitchen counter when done eating, 5)picking up her room; and she gets "bonus" stars for good deeds, such as helping her sisters, or being especially kind, good behavior. If she gets 25 stars in a week she earns a reward, which is usually a trinket off the dollar rack. she enjoys earning them.

My almost-4 year old grandson loves to keep the floors clean with the "Swiffer Sweeper" that I bought his mom. He also sorts all the socks for folding (and with 2 brothers and a dad there are plenty of those!)and he unloads the silverware and plastics from the dishwasher. Hope that helps...L.